Does the government not have the responsibility to protect the rights of the life inside you?

oh my gosh...! The President has everything to do with this issue. He appoints judges to the Supreme Court! He signed legislation regarding parental notification laws and banning partial birth abortion.
Watch and see if Obama signs the "Freedom of Choice Act" reversing these previous laws. He pledged to in front of NOW (National Organization for Women) during the campaign.

"Justin - I wish my blog readers were as cool as yours"

Paul is right we are not as cool but we are better looking!

John

Katy is a smart voter. She knows what she wants, and she knows who will give it to her. I can respect that. Some of the rest of you people need to pull your head out of the sand.

This notion that Obama will reduce abortions because he cares about all these other issues may feel good, but in my opinion, is abosolutly delusional.

Now, lest you think I am just a lackey for the Republican party, I can tell you that I am very dissapointed with both parties, and with our entire two party system. In my opinion our goverment has grown into a giant buerocratic monster that feeds off the productivity of its citizens. Even the most well intensioned politician will quickly be absorbed into the system, and be rendered inefective for any purpose other than bringing home the "pork".

In regards to our two choices for president today, I dont have any reason to expect a change of moral climate in our country regardless of the outcome Nov. 4. What I do expect if Obama wins, is he will imediatly sign the Freedom of choice act (because he said so), wich would abolish every existing state and federal limitation on abortion, including parental consent and notification laws for minors.
I also believe he will push for and promote any legislation requiring Planed Parenthood type sex education in ALL schools, public or private. So, if you want your child's fifth grade teacher to teach them the proper methods for condom use, I would say Obama is your man. If you want your childs high school counseler to sneak them out of school for an abortion without your knowledge, then I would say Obama is your man. And of course, you wont mind if your tax dollars pay for it.

There were other issues raised that we should also be concered about,like the down trodden, widows and orphans, and I say absolutly. I am very interested in those issues, and I have, and will continue to apply my efforts and resourses when able, as I am sure all of us will. If I thought there was any way to legislate those issues, that would be a heavy weight on deciding who to vote for. However, I am confident that if I ask or allow goverment to deal with those issues they will do what they always have done. Take one dollar from me, apply eighteen cents toward the issue, and burn the rest in their bottomless pit of buerocracy. Sorry for being so cynical, but watching the news will do that to a person. I dont see any way those issues can be effectively dealt with other than you and I working in community to help the people we come in contact with. Now, mabee I am wrong, and mabee there is some needed balance between a legislative approach, and the individual aproach. I guess thats what we have now. I am just reluctant to give government any more than they already have. I believe that we can do more on our own, given the opportunity. Although, they did a real nice job in New Orleans. Sorry, cynical again.

I think it was Paul who said he didnt believe McCain could do anything to resolve the abortion issue. I am sorry to say I agree 100%. However, in my opinion, a McCain administration is likly to at least hold the line where it is now. You might say it will give me a place to dig my nails into the wall. I am convinced that an Obama adminstration will send us down a hole from wich we will never return. Not only on abortion, but his positions on gay rights and hate crimes give me great cause for concern. Now, mabee I am wrong again, and from the look of the polls, I hope and pray that I am.

A quick answer to the question. Yes.

I do not support or believe in abortion. All life is sacred. That being said, it is ridiculous for Christians to preach as though they know who "God's choice" is.

The Bible proclaims that all governmental leaders have been put in place by God. This includes the evil leaders of Jesus' time. If Christians believe that God is in control, why do so many feel the need to spread hate and fear to convince people to vote for "God's choice". Doesn't that make him a small "g" god? Do you actually think God is going to be surprised by who wins the election in 5 days?

God didn't tell us to save the world by voting for perfect leaders ... because they don't exist. He also didn't tell us to spread slanderous statements about people we don't agree with. Or to live in fear of the unknown. He said to love the world, love your enemies, and pray without end.

Sin falls on both ends of the political spectrum, so vote how ever you feel led. Then take a deep breath and remember who is really in charge.

Justin - I wish my blog readers were as cool as yours :(

http://paulstewart.typepad.com/endangeredfaith/...

Dave - I also am pro-life, and I too am sick and tired of the Republican party using this issue to grab votes and doing absolutely nothing to reduce the number of abortions in this country. I am also tired of people talking about being pro-life but being perfectly content to ignore the 30,000 chidren under five that die of preventable disease every day or the 27 million children trapped in human slavery. As a follower of Christ, I must care for ALL life. (to clarify, I am disgusted by Obama’s voting record on abortion, but I also believe McCain is going to do absolutely nothing to solve this issue).

Here is what I am struggling with -

My wife recently received a phone call from a family member who expressed great concern because we have decided to vote for Obama. She said she loved us and wanted us to realize the truth - that Obama is an evil, evil man. She wanted to ask us how we can stand in front of God and justify voting for a murderer. She went on to say that nothing hurts God more than murdering babies

Wow.

First off, I'm not so sure that was done in "love" as she mentioned it was. Secondly, who are we to decide what is on God's heart most? Where in the bible does it say abortion is the most important issue to God?

Please read this statement - I do not support abortion and God is not for ending life. However, how can one justify it is the killing babies is most on God's heart when we read in Exodus that he killed all the first born sons in Egypt?! Why this happened I cannot explain. I don't get God sometimes (most times actually)...but the bible says it happened.

When I hear conservative evangelicals talk about the sanctity of human life it makes me want to throw up. What they really mean is the sanctity of an unborn child. What about the sanctity of ALL HUMAN LIFE. Including the down trodden, the widows, the orphans, the oppressed. What about the sanctity of life of those being slaughtered in Darfur and in Iraq. Are they less important than an unborn child?

I do not consider myself a democrat, but as a Christian I feel so used by the Republican party. It feels like they just throw Christians a couple bones to chew on every election year (i.e. abortion and gay marriage). Christians eat them up and give them their votes - then nothing ever changes. It also seems like they throw us they issues to cover the fact that most of their economic issues are biblically questionable at best.

The End.

Well I did vote for Obama and I feel very good about it. I really don't understand one issue voters but I know and love some so I'll shush.
Donald Miller, author and spokesperson for "Believers for Barack" recently spoke about this issue. It's a simple statement but one I agree with.

"I am a pro-life voter, but do not believe John McCain’s plan on the issue will work. McCain’s only stand on the issue has been a recent switch to a pro-life position, and a promise to continue the attempt to criminalize abortion through the Supreme Court.I believe this is an empty promise, and anybody who understands our judicial system would know this. Chief Justice John Roberts of the Supreme Court (our most conservative Judge, many feel, and the pro-lifers greatest hope for the plan to criminalize abortion) has stated that Roe V. Wade “is the law of the land” and has been backed up in precedent by the Casey case. He does not believe it is plausible to overturn both rulings. Of course it is possible, but it would take a judicial miracle and the appointment of even more conservative, activist judges. This is the only way the overturning of Roe V. Wade will happen. The continuation of rhetoric about being pro-life but not having a realistic plan has tired me of the Republican Party. As more and more evangelicals walk away, I hope Republicans will stop giving lip-service to this important issue. My hope is they will realize they are going to lose more and more votes until they are willing to engage in a bipartisan effort to make progress with comprehensive legislation that is realistic and actual.

The Democrats have proposed comprehensive legislation called the 95/10 initiative that aims to reduce the number of abortions that take place in this country by 95% within 10 years. While Barack Obama is a pro-choice candidate, he supports this and similar legislation. This is the only proposed and realistic strategy that can move us around the cultural impasse that is breathing hate and anger into the Christian community.

While Barack Obama opposes late-term abortions, he has made promises to the National Organization or Women to make progress in a woman’s right to chose. I wish Obama were more strong on this issue. Still, I do feel he will accomplish more than John McCain, as John McCain has only recently taken this position and offers no legislation and no plan.

This is a very debatable issue. There are facts on both sides that seem to refute any argument made. But I have had to do the research and take a position and, for now, this is my position."

its a much bigger issue than this - pro-life is so much bigger than doing away with abortion... pro-life means a basic respect for humanity at ALL stages of life, including children without health care, people losing their houses and jobs, women making less than their male counterparts for the same work, hearing loss that could be prevented with simple antibiotics and basic health care for all - not to mention the intentional taking of life in the name of justice that we call the death penalty - which costs way more than simple life imprisonment... all of that to say either an always yes or an always no answer is overly-simplistic and lacks nuance of any kind.

fwiw, abortion is a medical procedure - there are times when it is, regretfully, necessary... times when the choice really is between losing one life or losing two... and there are times when children are victimized that to continue a pregnancy would cause further victimization... its really not a simple issue - that's what i liked about Obama's answer to the question on the debate - he demonstrated an understanding of the complexities involved...

i am pro-life - i am NOT anti-abortion... the two are not synonymous

I should add, I don't necessarily think that it is unreasonable for a mother to accept the burden of giving birth to a child, but I do think that any person who believes that the embryo/fetus/child/potential has the right to life should also realize that there is a trade-off between this right and the rights of the mother. Maybe not an unreasonable one, but it's still a trade-off nonetheless and the arguments should be made with this in mind. Disregarding these rights will not win any points for those who call for the criminalization of abortion.